Corrections officer pleads guilty in assault of roommate

EVERETT — A King County juvenile corrections officer is expected to be on probation for two years after pleading guilty to assaulting his roommate last year.

Prosecutors aren’t planning to recommend that Tyriff Rudder serve any more jail time. They will ask that he pay for his roommate’s medical expenses. Rudder is accused of breaking the man’s leg during the Aug. 28 dispute.

Rudder, 34, pleaded guilty Wednesday to fourth-degree assault, a gross misdemeanor. He didn’t admit any wrong-doing, but conceded that a jury likely would find him guilty if he went to trial.

He is scheduled to be sentenced early next week in Snohomish County Superior Court.

On Friday, a King County official said Rudder remains on paid administrative leave from his job. An internal investigation into the incident is expected to move forward once Rudder has been sentenced, detention Cmdr. Williams Hayes said.

Prosecutors in April charged Rudder with a felony after he declined to plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault, according to court papers. He didn’t have any prior criminal history.

The victim supported reducing the charge in an effort to avoid a trial, prosecutors said.

The assault was first reported by Rudder’s Bothell neighbors. They called 911 after hearing someone screaming for help.

When Snohomish County deputies arrived they also heard a man yelling for help. Rudder eventually came to the door but refused to exit, court papers said.

Deputies again heard a man calling for help. They removed an extremely intoxicated Rudder from the entryway. He told cops that his roommate had fallen down some stairs and he was trying to drag him upstairs.

Police found the roommate lying near a bedroom. He denied being assaulted. The man underwent surgery for fractures to his tibia and fibula bones in one leg.

He contacted police about a week later to report that Rudder had broken his leg. He told officers he initially lied because he was afraid for his life.

The man said he’d been sleeping when Rudder came into his bedroom and put him in a “goose neck” hold. He told cops the violence escalated and Rudder broke his leg.